Greece given month to sway doubters

Greece earned a one-month reprieve at the Ecofin Council, Brussels, 16 February 2010 to persuade sceptical European Union allies and financial markets that its 2010 budget deficit-cutting plan would be sufficiently rigorous to stave off fiscal collapse.

EU finance ministers said they would wait until 16 March 2010 before deciding whether to order Athens to introduce more austerity measures, ranging from an increase in value added tax and higher levies on energy products to cuts in capital expenditure.

Kathimerini; 17.2.10: Greece resisting EU pressure http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100003_17/02/2010_114955

EurActiv, 17.2.10: EU ministers give Greece timetable for recovery http://www.euractiv.com/en/euro/eu-ministers-have-greek-plan-no-details-news-259957

ESO: Background information: Eurozone seeks tougher Greek action http://www.europeansources.info/record/eurozone-seeks-tougher-greek-action/

BBC News, 16.2.10: Greece told to make more spending cuts http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8517499.stm

Council of the European Union: Press Release: PRES/10/30: Council gives notice to Greece to correct its government deficit by 2012, setting out a timetable for corrective measures http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ecofin/112905.pdf

Deutsche Welle, 16.2.10: EU ministers urge Greece to do more to rein in deficit http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5255529,00.html

Kathimerini, 16.2.10: Greece resists EU fiscal demand http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100002_16/02/2010_114921

Spiegel Online International, 16.2.10: 'Lies, Damned Lies and Greek Statistics' http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,678205,00.html

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